Decluttering and earning money

[mynewchoice]

As my wife and I have begun reviewing our spending habits and mustachian (or currently anti-mustachian) ways, one of the things that we quickly realized is how much "stuff" we have accumulated and really do not have a need for anymore.  In the process of cleaning through the clutter, I had been talking about selling some of the items on Craigslist but my wife has had her doubts about why anyone would want to buy some of this stuff--and offering a little resistance due to concerns about selling to complete strangers.  This weekend I mentioned to her that there are also a number of Facebook groups that act as virtual garage sale groups where people post items for sale, and we decided to try it.

She posted some jeans from our younger son and a pair of his shoes that he outgrew after wearing them maybe a handful of times.  Both posts were responded to and items sold in less than an hour, and she was amazed!  Granted these items were not sold for much money but in my opinion the money is icing on the cake for most of this stuff, as the real goal is to just clean out all the excess and making some money in the process is a bonus.  However, she is hooked and in the process of listing a lot more stuff!

I know that this is old hat for many of you, but is a big step for us to have actually started decluttering.  Thank you all for sharing so many posts and experiences that helped get both of us to this point.

[kanga1622]

We have great luck with this. We are remodeling and will be getting some new furniture. Our current furniture is all hand-me-down or garage sale finds. We have sold all of it on the Facebook rummage for our area for pretty much what we paid for it when we purchased it. Granted, not a lot of money but nice to not toss it in a landfill and add a little to the kitty for the new furniture.

Selling a bunch of little items earlier this summer we made over $100 in a week. Nice side benefit for cleaning out things we weren't using anyway.

I don't have the patience to sell kids clothes online but we have a local church that has a "kids closet" that they open once a month and for disasters. We've started just dropping off the kids clothes and toys there knowing that someone with lesser available income can get some nice clothes for free (and since it is a church it would be a tax write off if we itemized).

[mynewchoice]

We have great luck with this. We are remodeling and will be getting some new furniture. Our current furniture is all hand-me-down or garage sale finds. We have sold all of it on the Facebook rummage for our area for pretty much what we paid for it when we purchased it. Granted, not a lot of money but nice to not toss it in a landfill and add a little to the kitty for the new furniture.

Selling a bunch of little items earlier this summer we made over $100 in a week. Nice side benefit for cleaning out things we weren't using anyway.

I don't have the patience to sell kids clothes online but we have a local church that has a "kids closet" that they open once a month and for disasters. We've started just dropping off the kids clothes and toys there knowing that someone with lesser available income can get some nice clothes for free (and since it is a church it would be a tax write off if we itemized).

When I got home from work last night, she had posted and sold a bookshelf stereo system that has been sitting in the storage area of our basement ever since we finished the basement.  We have some old bikes too that will be getting posted (although I admit it will be hard to sell the Giant mountain bike that I've had since I was 15, no longer ride it as I have a nicer Trek bike now but it has a lot of memories attached to it).  I agree with you about the lack of patience for selling clothes, and our plan for most of the clothes is to donate to Amvets and/or Goodwill.  We don't go to any church, although that might be another good option that would help get those clothes to people that make good use of some nice clothes.

[gggggg]

Yep, it's a win/win. The more crap you have, the more stuff you have to take care of, trip over, deal with, move when you move or rearrange, and have to see. If you sell it, you make money, and you don't have to deal with it anymore.

[Choices]

Great job!
We donate a lot of little stuff that isn't worth the hassle of meeting people to sell it. It goes to a good cause and we get the tax deduction.

The big stuff goes on Nextdoor, Swip Swap, or Craigslist so we don't have to haul it. Magically, someone with a big truck shows up and carts it away.

The hassle of getting rid of stuff will lead you to question whether you really need/want new purchases too, which is an even bigger benefit.

[mynewchoice]

Yep, it's a win/win. The more crap you have, the more stuff you have to take care of, trip over, deal with, move when you move or rearrange, and have to see. If you sell it, you make money, and you don't have to deal with it anymore.

Absolutely!  I have helped enough people move that had truckloads of junk just in their basement, and I certainly do not want to be in that position.  By the time our boys are out of high school in a few years, we should have leaned out the possessions quite a bit.

Great job!
We donate a lot of little stuff that isn't worth the hassle of meeting people to sell it. It goes to a good cause and we get the tax deduction.

The big stuff goes on Nextdoor, Swip Swap, or Craigslist so we don't have to haul it. Magically, someone with a big truck shows up and carts it away.

The hassle of getting rid of stuff will lead you to question whether you really need/want new purchases too, which is an even bigger benefit.

Thanks!  In the past, we have usually donated all of our things to Goodwill although foolishly I have never bothered to claim a tax deduction for any of it.  You are absolutely right that this process leads to more scrutiny on new purchases, and I have already seen that to some extent and I am confident that we will continue to see that grow as we move forward.

[HipGnosis]

Can someone please post a quick how-to for selling stuff on FB?
All I use FB for is seeing pictures of distant relatives (kids, grandkids and vacations) and clicking 'like' on cute minion posters.
I tried to use FB to sell something and couldn't figure it out. 

So I used OfferUp; a P2P market that uses a website and an app.  You have to use the app to sell; the first step of selling something is taking a picture of the item (done w/in the app).  I sold a mtn bike in a week and got my asking price.

[Choices]

Can someone please post a quick how-to for selling stuff on FB?
All I use FB for is seeing pictures of distant relatives (kids, grandkids and vacations) and clicking 'like' on cute minion posters.
I tried to use FB to sell something and couldn't figure it out. 

So I used OfferUp; a P2P market that uses a website and an app.  You have to use the app to sell; the first step of selling something is taking a picture of the item (done w/in the app).  I sold a mtn bike in a week and got my asking price.

The local Facebook groups are called various things, so ask around in your neighborhood. Ours are Swip Swap Phoenix, Swip Swap Scottsdale, etc. You ask to be added to the group and once approved, you'll see a set of instructions on how to post.

[earlycheckout]

On the left hand column of Facebook near the top under Favorites, you should see a category now called sale groups. At least on my version I see it. I didn't create it. Click on that and up will pop different groups you can join. Hit the 'join' button and take it from there (ones in our city often have an administrator that allows you into the group before you can post). You can add photos and an advert to the group page and people will contact you directly.

We've loved selling to strangers. Everyone has been just great. But we live in a place where we aren't afraid of others and no one typically has access to a firearm :)

[TOgirl]

I sell in FB groups all the time. If you search FB for "name of your town/city" and "buy and sell" or "mom to mom" I'm sure lots will pop up.

I agree, it is very helpful to do this living in a relatively safe community - it can get tiresome going to meet people to sell something, so I very often leave items on my front porch, and the buyer comes and grabs them and leaves the cash in my mailbox. I've been selling items this way for over 5 years, and I've never had any issues. Just this morning, I hung three small bags of too small kids clothes on my mailbox on my way out the door for work, and tonight I will return to find over $20 in the mailbox.

For bigger items, I give people a date and time frame to come and pick the item up, and it has been great!

I used to keep track of how much money I made selling items we no longer needed, and it is always worth it to me. I don't keep track as closely anymore, but I'd estimate it to be about $2000-2500 of extra cash per year, for clothing and toys that my kids outgrow, or items we no longer want in the house.

Good luck!!

[mynewchoice]

@HipGnosis, as others have stated you need to search in FB for groups tailored to your area.  I searched for the name of my town plus words like "garage sale" or "yard sale" and there were quite a few groups to choose from.  They each have their own specific rules regarding how to post photos, albums, etc. but it isn't too difficult to get the hang of once you start.

We just sold an extra car that we have had on a FB group this weekend.  By far this was our biggest sale so far, and it is one I had been procrastinating on putting up on CraigsList and decided to try using one of the FB groups.  I posted the photos and description on Thursday late afternoon, I had two people comment that they were interested and had one person come out and look at the car on Friday evening.  They liked the car and asked if they could have a mechanic friend come look at the car on Saturday, which I said was fine.  Everything checked out and they bought the car on Saturday morning, and I cleared a space on my driveway and put a nice little chunk of cash into savings.

[Tris Prior]

How on earth are you all getting people to buy your stuff? I have tried all the local FB selling groups. I have tried Craigslist. I have tried ebay. The only place I've had any success is half.com, for DVD sets, but we've pretty much sold all those now. Everywhere else - total crickets. Once in a while I'll get a nibble but then they don't show up when they say they are going to and I just wasted a few hours sitting at home waiting.

I feel like I write good descriptive listings, take good photos, include all the information about size, etc. that someone might want. Maybe I just don't have good enough stuff to unload? We don't have kids or much in the way of electronics, computers, etc. Mostly it's furniture, clothing, random household crap that we're trying to sell. I list it a few times and then give up and donate it.

[mynewchoice]

How on earth are you all getting people to buy your stuff? I have tried all the local FB selling groups. I have tried Craigslist. I have tried ebay. The only place I've had any success is half.com, for DVD sets, but we've pretty much sold all those now. Everywhere else - total crickets. Once in a while I'll get a nibble but then they don't show up when they say they are going to and I just wasted a few hours sitting at home waiting.

I feel like I write good descriptive listings, take good photos, include all the information about size, etc. that someone might want. Maybe I just don't have good enough stuff to unload? We don't have kids or much in the way of electronics, computers, etc. Mostly it's furniture, clothing, random household crap that we're trying to sell. I list it a few times and then give up and donate it.

While we have a very limited data set at this point, I believe it has a lot to do with the price of the items.  Whenever I scroll through the various groups, I notice that items that have higher prices tend to have zero or very few comments as people are looking for bargains.  We priced our items very reasonably--low even--as we are more interested in getting rid of things than we are in making money.  For instance, the bookshelf stereo w/ 5CD changer that we recently sold was listed for $25 and someone commented and bought it in less than an hour if I remember correctly.  We probably could have listed it for $50 or more, but it likely would have taken longer to sell and sat around for awhile. 

I am sure a lot of it has to do with the number of people in the group too.  Most of the groups in my area have around 10,000 people in them so there are a lot of eyes on each post.  If the groups in your area are less active, it might take longer.

[snogirl]

How on earth are you all getting people to buy your stuff? I have tried all the local FB selling groups. I have tried Craigslist. I have tried ebay. The only place I've had any success is half.com, for DVD sets, but we've pretty much sold all those now. Everywhere else - total crickets. Once in a while I'll get a nibble but then they don't show up when they say they are going to and I just wasted a few hours sitting at home waiting.

I feel like I write good descriptive listings, take good photos, include all the information about size, etc. that someone might want. Maybe I just don't have good enough stuff to unload? We don't have kids or much in the way of electronics, computers, etc. Mostly it's furniture, clothing, random household crap that we're trying to sell. I list it a few times and then give up and donate it.

While we have a very limited data set at this point, I believe it has a lot to do with the price of the items.  Whenever I scroll through the various groups, I notice that items that have higher prices tend to have zero or very few comments as people are looking for bargains.  We priced our items very reasonably--low even--as we are more interested in getting rid of things than we are in making money.  For instance, the bookshelf stereo w/ 5CD changer that we recently sold was listed for $25 and someone commented and bought it in less than an hour if I remember correctly.  We probably could have listed it for $50 or more, but it likely would have taken longer to sell and sat around for awhile. 

I am sure a lot of it has to do with the number of people in the group too.  Most of the groups in my area have around 10,000 people in them so there are a lot of eyes on each post.  If the groups in your area are less active, it might take longer.

I have had great success selling in like-items in lots.  One price for saying 5 camping items.  The price I set is usually 50% less than what I paid for it and I will take less than that.
Amazon, when it first started, followed a business strategy of selling volume vs. high price. 
So I feel if I sell a lot it keeps momentum and every once in awhile I make a larger price sale.
My goal is to make some money and get rid of it.
I use Craiglist, our local neighborhood Front Porch Forum (which is similar to a daily listserve), or forums specific to items I am selling.
My Mom just retired and had a huge lot of scrubs.  I am planning on doing many small lots of scrubs.
Lastly, I also join our neighborhood's yard sale weekend.  I do not go crazy pricing everything since I want easy.  Everything is again in lots or $1 or $5.
If I have something than I price it but for a 1/2 a day I bring in about $400 bucks from all those ones and fives.
 

[Tris Prior]

While we have a very limited data set at this point, I believe it has a lot to do with the price of the items.  Whenever I scroll through the various groups, I notice that items that have higher prices tend to have zero or very few comments as people are looking for bargains.  We priced our items very reasonably--low even--as we are more interested in getting rid of things than we are in making money. 
I am sure a lot of it has to do with the number of people in the group too.  Most of the groups in my area have around 10,000 people in them so there are a lot of eyes on each post.  If the groups in your area are less active, it might take longer.

I've never listed anything for more than $5. Maybe that is too much and I should go down to $1 or $2? Though, then it becomes a case of, is my time spent sitting around waiting for the person to show up worth only $1 or $2. Maybe I'm better off just donating.

I checked the FB groups I'm in and they range from 2,400 to 14,000 members. Each is specific to a Chicago neighborhood (or set of neighborhoods), though, and people are encouraged to post in multiple groups which is what I do.

I'm starting to think that maybe the things I have to unload are just not things that most mustachian bargain hunters would find useful. Which is understandable.

[mynewchoice]

I've never listed anything for more than $5. Maybe that is too much and I should go down to $1 or $2? Though, then it becomes a case of, is my time spent sitting around waiting for the person to show up worth only $1 or $2. Maybe I'm better off just donating.

I checked the FB groups I'm in and they range from 2,400 to 14,000 members. Each is specific to a Chicago neighborhood (or set of neighborhoods), though, and people are encouraged to post in multiple groups which is what I do.

I'm starting to think that maybe the things I have to unload are just not things that most mustachian bargain hunters would find useful. Which is understandable.

Hmm, I definitely wouldn't go less than $5 because I agree with you that at that point you might as well just donate the item and not have to worry about the time of waiting for someone or the effort to meet someone somewhere.

I am in the Chicago suburbs myself (far western burbs) so that is quite interesting that you're not getting any traction even with those low prices.

[TOgirl]

I post multiple items, and often sell kids clothes for $2-$3 each, and most sell quite quickly. However, I'm now selling bigger sizes (6,7,8) that are more in demand and less available it seems. It helps once you have a group that knows you as a seller - I often have moms private message me on FB and ask if I have any items before I even post things, because they know my prices are good, and the items are good quality. I agree, that waiting around for $2 is not worth it, but I usually do 'porch pick up' where I put the items out and leave for work...when I get home, the items are gone and a few dollars are in my mailbox.

I'd suggest lowering your prices as a start, and also look in the group rules - can you 'bump' up your post to have more people view it?

[Tris Prior]

but I usually do 'porch pick up' where I put the items out and leave for work...when I get home, the items are gone and a few dollars are in my mailbox.

Oh, if I did that, the item would be gone immediately, all right.... ;) (high-crime urban neighborhood). I wish I could. That would make life so much easier.

I think that bumping is allowed in my groups - it did occur to me that FB was maybe not showing my posts to people (like how if you have a FB business page, FB doesn't show it to hardly any of your fans unless you pay them money).

[Cannot Wait!]

That’s awesome mynewchoice!  I've been slacking on the selling stuff and you've just inspired me to get back at it tomorrow.

[mynewchoice]

That’s awesome mynewchoice!  I've been slacking on the selling stuff and you've just inspired me to get back at it tomorrow.

Awesome, glad to hear that I could be a bit of inspiration to get back at selling stuff.  Be sure to share your success stories too!

[misshathaway]

The local Facebook groups are called various things, so ask around in your neighborhood. Ours are Swip Swap Phoenix, Swip Swap Scottsdale, etc. You ask to be added to the group and once approved, you'll see a set of instructions on how to post.

I had NO IDEA that there were 2 FB groups for selling right in my town. I listed one lot of items last night and have had tons of responses. Thank you for the info. These are old suitcases I'm trying to get rid of so not big ticket items but so handy b/c the people are local so hopefully can pick up faster.

[acroy]

Badass, mynewchoice!
Feels good, don't it!?
We donate anything about $10 or under. At that point it's not worth the hassle and we can take the tax break using the ebay valuation tool, which is quite generous.

[mynewchoice]

Badass, mynewchoice!
Feels good, don't it!?
We donate anything about $10 or under. At that point it's not worth the hassle and we can take the tax break using the ebay valuation tool, which is quite generous.

It sure does, and the best part is that this is something that the whole family has become interested in doing.  Our boys are finding things that they want to list, and my wife and I continue to go through the house to find items that we can part with.  So far our price point has been the same, anything that we would value under $10 has been put on the pile to donate unless we have a group of items.  For instance, my wife sold 4 pairs of jeans for $15 so per item it was under our price point but as a lot it was above so we listed it.

[Cannot Wait!]

That’s awesome mynewchoice!  I've been slacking on the selling stuff and you've just inspired me to get back at it tomorrow.

Awesome, glad to hear that I could be a bit of inspiration to get back at selling stuff.  Be sure to share your success stories too!

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

[mynewchoice]

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

That's awesome, way to go!

[MisterTwoForty]

De-cluttering and making some $ off the sale(s) is a win-win.  I am in the same process myself.

I plan to downsize to a 275 sq ft RV to live full time when I am FI.  I still feel somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have but much of it isn't worth the effort to sell, or in the case of big items like furniture are still needed until we execute the plan.

[Cannot Wait!]

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

That's awesome, way to go!

Update!  Sold $165 worth of crap and have 3 people coming by tomorrow for more!  And deep, dark spots  in my house are getting cleaned out!  And I'm making people happy with the deals they are getting.   It feels so good.

[mynewchoice]

Update!  Sold $165 worth of crap and have 3 people coming by tomorrow for more!  And deep, dark spots  in my house are getting cleaned out!  And I'm making people happy with the deals they are getting.   It feels so good.

Great job!

This weekend we cleaned out the spare bedroom / office as we are painting and replacing the carpet with laminate flooring, and there will be a big purge of things that won't be going back into that room when we are done.  I have a hunch that we will have more that we donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army versus try to sell, but I am sure that there will be enough things to pay a portion of the costs to do the work.

[JimLahey]

I'm closing on my first house on 9/2. I'm taking the opportunity to get rid of some things. Less stuff to move and no sense in dragging along useless junk. Yesterday I got rid of some DVDs at a store that pays cash for them. They didn't take all of them and I got a whopping $6.88 but it is progress. I also took an old bike and a DVD rack to Goodwill. I may get rid of some more DVDs and possibly some books. I just don't watch the majority of my DVD/Blu Rays since I have Netflix. I've got some large black trash bags for things that will end up in the dumpster.

[alewpanda]

I was inspired by this thread to do some purging!  I'm already pretty minimalistic, but I found around 150.00 worth of stuff to sell on facebook sites in the last day.  I have already made 2 sales (20.00, but hey its easy money) and I have one pending for Monday.  I meet in a dollar tree parking lot literally minutes from my home, so its safe and takes almost zero work/expense from me to make the sales. 

Yay cleared space and stache money!

[Nangirl17]

... you might as well just donate the item and not have to worry about the time of waiting for someone or the effort to meet someone somewhere.

I almost never (unless it is worth over $20) wait for anyone. When someone expresses interest, I tell them that it is on my front porch at __ address, and they can pick it up at their convenience in the next 72 hours (or less if there is lots of interest), otherwise I will repost. I have never had problems with anyone stealing things, and I figure that even if they do, it is not worth the time to wait around - I just want it out of the house!!

[TomTX]

... you might as well just donate the item and not have to worry about the time of waiting for someone or the effort to meet someone somewhere.

I almost never (unless it is worth over $20) wait for anyone. When someone expresses interest, I tell them that it is on my front porch at __ address, and they can pick it up at their convenience in the next 72 hours (or less if there is lots of interest), otherwise I will repost. I have never had problems with anyone stealing things, and I figure that even if they do, it is not worth the time to wait around - I just want it out of the house!!

I've left Craigslisted items on the porch for pickup maybe 10 times so far. No issues. $20 or less items. 

[Cannot Wait!]

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

That's awesome, way to go!

Update!  Sold $165 worth of crap and have 3 people coming by tomorrow for more!  And deep, dark spots  in my house are getting cleaned out!  And I'm making people happy with the deals they are getting.   It feels so good.

$290 and counting!  Now I'm working on things that have been sitting there mocking me - the unicycle that I can't get the hang of and that saxophone that I just can't play.  Gowns that I don't have the lifestyle for and clothes that in reality I won't ever fit in to again.  :(

[TomTX]

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

That's awesome, way to go!

Update!  Sold $165 worth of crap and have 3 people coming by tomorrow for more!  And deep, dark spots  in my house are getting cleaned out!  And I'm making people happy with the deals they are getting.   It feels so good.

$290 and counting!  Now I'm working on things that have been sitting there mocking me - the unicycle that I can't get the hang of and that saxophone that I just can't play.  Gowns that I don't have the lifestyle for and clothes that in reality I won't ever fit in to again.  :(

Screw it, wear the ball gowns to the library and grocery store.

[alewpanda]

I was inspired by this thread to do some purging!  I'm already pretty minimalistic, but I found around 150.00 worth of stuff to sell on facebook sites in the last day.  I have already made 2 sales (20.00, but hey its easy money) and I have one pending for Monday.  I meet in a dollar tree parking lot literally minutes from my home, so its safe and takes almost zero work/expense from me to make the sales. 

Yay cleared space and stache money!

Update!  Sold another 13.00 worth of stuff :)   33.00 extra dollars and a roll of pennies (0.50)  are awaiting deposit and to be sent to student loans :D

[Trudie]

I live in a small town - 8500 people.  We have a local Craigslist-type site and I posted some gardening/yard items (always popular) this week and within 24 hours could have sold both items several times over.  I was excited, because garage sales have always been a bust where I live.  I've basically been attacking the garage but am moving on to basement storage soon.  Since I am going to sweep and clean out the garage over the weekend I am excited to have the extra room to move about. 

Clothes and small items (kitchen gadgets) I donate locally.  Really nice books and DVDs I sell on amazon.com -- but only if it's worth my time.

We know we don't want to live in our current home when we FIRE, so I'm doing "the purge."  I have a few years.  My goal is to eliminate the items that would be heavy, cumbersome, and easy to replace because I'm not paying to put them on a moving truck.  Wish I could get my husband to cooperate... he doesn't fight me, but he doesn't participate.

[Stachetastic]

I'm motivated to finally try my local fb groups, as our closest craigslist city is an hour away, and people aren't willing to drive far for inexpensive/smaller items. But here's a question: Do any of you have concerns for unloading stuff on fb that was a gift from another fb friend?

Example: Most of our children's clothes are passed down from friends, and are very nice name brand items. I don't personally know any younger children to pass them along to, so I'd love to sell some. However, the people who gave them to us are friends on fb and I'm afraid of offending them by making a profit. Same goes for other items handed down from family members, etc.

Anyone else deal with this?

[HAPPYINAZ]

I'm motivated to finally try my local fb groups, as our closest craigslist city is an hour away, and people aren't willing to drive far for inexpensive/smaller items. But here's a question: Do any of you have concerns for unloading stuff on fb that was a gift from another fb friend?

Example: Most of our children's clothes are passed down from friends, and are very nice name brand items. I don't personally know any younger children to pass them along to, so I'd love to sell some. However, the people who gave them to us are friends on fb and I'm afraid of offending them by making a profit. Same goes for other items handed down from family members, etc.

Anyone else deal with this?


yes, this is a potential issue.  I suggest you avoid selling gifted items and instead donate them.  the amount of $$ you might make would be minuscule compared to damaging a friendship. 

[spicykissa]

You can choose who can see a post you make on Facebook--just lock out anyone you are worried might get offended. Unless the givers are also in the sale group or something, they won't even know.

I had a similar problem while vacationing near some unpleasant extended family that I absolutely did not want to go visit (or have show up at my hotel), but I did want to post pictures and trip updates. The "Who can see this post? Friends except ___, ____" button worked perfectly. 

[Goldielocks]

I'm motivated to finally try my local fb groups, as our closest craigslist city is an hour away, and people aren't willing to drive far for inexpensive/smaller items. But here's a question: Do any of you have concerns for unloading stuff on fb that was a gift from another fb friend?

Example: Most of our children's clothes are passed down from friends, and are very nice name brand items. I don't personally know any younger children to pass them along to, so I'd love to sell some. However, the people who gave them to us are friends on fb and I'm afraid of offending them by making a profit. Same goes for other items handed down from family members, etc.

Anyone else deal with this?

Yes!  Here is my take...

If you have owned and used the presents in question, and now have legitimately outgrown them, go ahead.  Your friends never thought you should keep your kids used pants for 15 years, after all.

Exceptions -- handmade special items like baby blankets, (I would quietly donate, out of town if needed)...  items less than 1 year old in your hands (especially never used items).... and items with a long useful life, like a kitchen blender.

If you received second hand clothes, and instantly realize that you could make a profit on an item, and don't want it yourself, the best thing is to point that out to the giver and offer to return it, or ask if it is ok. 

Because you are using facebook, which is a bit personal, I would just email the friends you are concerned about and let them know that you will be starting to sell items on, and to let you know if they have any concerns.  This avoids the whole "Psycho friend" drama that can occur on fb. as in "That's mine, and you give it back to me right now!!"  posted on your wall...

Example...
I received brand new GAP pants, size 14 boys, from my sister mixed in a bag of second hand clothing.. my sister buys this style "just in case" for church and dressier occasions for my nephew, but he outgrew them before that "just in case" happened.  My son does not like the style..

Because I did not go through the bag until a year after receiving them, I am ok to try to sell them.  If I had noticed right away, I would have tried to return them to her or ask if it was ok.   

[Kansas Beachbum]

We recently downsized and sold a bunch of furniture and stuff on a site called VarageSale.com.  It's like an online garage sale.  Not nearly as sketchy as Craigslist seems to have become.  Not sure if it's available in all areas, but a good alternative if it is. 

[Trudie]

Sold three large-ish items on our local free selling site within the last week and netted $90.  A couple were large items sitting in my garage.  'Tis nice to have more space around my car.  Plus, there's the peace of mind knowing that these items won't be a consideration when we downsize.  Still working on it...

[Stachetastic]

I finally got motivated over the weekend and took a small box of kids' clothing and a stroller to the local consignment store. Walked out with $42 cash! I looked around to see what types of items they sell, and asked the owner a few questions. I immediately came home and pulled out more items to take in next time, including 2 car seats that are taking up valuable storage space. My brother and SIL are having a garage sale in a couple weeks, so smaller items I don't care to make money on I will take to them. Hoping to keep the momentum up!

I also posted a couple of nice PB Kids bedding sets on our local FB group, but no bites. I have them listed at $20 each, which I think is too high for FB (not for the items necessarily--they're posted for $50+ on craigslist. I just think the FB crowd works on a lower price point.)

[TomTX]

Had an old enlarger listed for $75 after several price deductions.

Ended up getting $80 because I didn't have my wallet in my pocket and the guy didn't want to wait for me to go inside and get change!

[Cannot Wait!]

Posted 63 items on our fb thrift sale and have my first pick up tomorrow!  It's more about the clearing out but if you can get paid to do it, why not?

That's awesome, way to go!

Update!  Sold $165 worth of crap and have 3 people coming by tomorrow for more!  And deep, dark spots  in my house are getting cleaned out!  And I'm making people happy with the deals they are getting.   It feels so good.

$290 and counting!  Now I'm working on things that have been sitting there mocking me - the unicycle that I can't get the hang of and that saxophone that I just can't play.  Gowns that I don't have the lifestyle for and clothes that in reality I won't ever fit in to again.  :(

UPDATE:  Yes!  Hit the $600 mark today!  That money is making me so much happier than storing those items that I wasn't using!  I'm happy for the people that are getting great deals on my stuff too.  Win-Win.
Some days I need to watch a few YouTube videos on minimalism to get the motivation back - works like a charm.  :)

[Prairie Gal]

I have been using the Facebook Buy N Sell groups in my town for a while now with great success. Mostly for selling stuff I don't need, but also occasionally buying stuff I do need at a great price. I also belong to some Facebook groups for free stuff. I have given away lots of stuff to people in need, and this gives me the warm fuzzies. Win/win.

[Trudie]

I've been selling and hauling away to thrift.  In some cases the hassle of listing stuff and dealing with people isn't worth it and I'd rather have the tax deduction.  My husband doesn't know it yet, but I'm in serious downsizing mode!

[Cannot Wait!]

You guys!  I had a garage sale today and cleared $700!!!
I'm thrilled, tired, and never want to sell anything again! Lol
Some thinges that worked for me:
Convince the neighbourhood to have a community wide sale.
Advertise heavily and with pics on the fb sale pages.
Ask a local realtor to borrow some signs to put along the roadway for directions.
Use key words online like military memoribilia, blue mountain pottery, or  other things people will search for.
Take pics and post during the sale.
Bump all your items on your sale pages a day or two before.
Enlist help.
Offer to sell things for your friends to make it seem like you have a lot of stuff so people will think it is worth it to stop.
Have coin change.
Make the sun shine.
Take pics and post your leftover items on free cycle groups once you've put them to the curb.

[planepoo]

Great job!
We donate a lot of little stuff that isn't worth the hassle of meeting people to sell it. It goes to a good cause and we get the tax deduction.

The big stuff goes on Nextdoor, Swip Swap, or Craigslist so we don't have to haul it. Magically, someone with a big truck shows up and carts it away.

The hassle of getting rid of stuff will lead you to question whether you really need/want new purchases too, which is an even bigger benefit.

Believe it or not the little stuff adds up to quite a bit, I used to think that way but its and extra 10 or 20 or 30 dollars here and there and at the end of the month its a few extra 100. But use an app where you dont have to repost constantly like craigslist. Use one like letgo or some of the other ones. You simply post it and forget about it. I will always be willing to let someone come to my house to give me money.

[TomTX]

So, what are the favorite Craigslist alternatives?

Letgo just seems a bit odd to me